At Rolleston Primary School, we believe that school is a place of learning for everyone and that people learn best when they feel safe, and when we work as a team. Good relationships and friendship are important to us, and we strive to build effective learning partnerships with our parents and carers to help us reach the best possible outcomes for all of our pupils. We recognise that we are all on a journey of learning. We want our pupils to enjoy coming to school and we want them to be challenged and inspired to learn. The work of our Governing Body helps realise these aims and ensure our school sets itself even higher goals on its journey of improvement.

The Governing Body

What is the role of the Governing Body?

Governing Bodies exist so that schools are publicly accountable to local people for what they do, for the results they achieve, and for the way in which the resources are allocated.

What are the duties of a school governor?

Governors are expected to:

1. Establish and agree the aims and values of the school

2. Establish and agree policies relating to the aims, purposes and practices of the school (e.g. National Curriculum, SEND, Safeguarding, Behaviour, Attendance, Sex Education, e.t.c.)

3. Influence and approve the school improvement plan, and monitor and review the school's progress

4. Ensure delivery of the National Curriculum and R.E.

5. Advise and monitor the school budget

6.Ensure individual pupils’ needs are met, including those with additional learning needs e.g. those with special needs

7. Assist in the recruitment and selection of staff

8. Give parents information about the school

9. Produce action plans for improvement following school inspections

10. Establish and maintain positive links with the local business community

11. Support the day to day operational decisions taken by the headteacher

12. Promote the effectiveness of the governing body

13. Provide and external perspective, advice and skills

14. Appoint and support staff

15. Deal with complaints and exclusion appeals

School Governing Body Information

All state maintained schools, whether they are primary, secondary or special schools, are accountable to their Governing Bodies. They in turn are accountable to parents and the community. Parent and staff representatives are elected to the governing body; the local authority may appoint governors to the governing body and faith bodies appoint foundation governors in faith schools. Whatever the background or reason for appointment for individual Governors, the Governing Body as a whole fulfils a critical role in the effective leadership and management of a school.

The governors' role is vitally important. It is not about rubber stamping decisions or about fundraising. School governors provide strategic leadership and accountability. Governors appoint the head teacher and are responsible for the performance management of the head teacher. It is governors who are responsible for the finances in schools and in ensuring that these are used to the maximum benefit of all pupils.

Governors have three key roles in raising and maintaining standards in school:

1. Setting strategic direction.

Responsibility for the day to day management of the school lies with the Headteacher or Principal. The Governing Body is responsible for working with the leaders in school to ensure there is a longer term view, or strategy, for school improvement.

2. Ensuring accountability.

The Governing Body holds the school to account via:

Undertaking the Performance Management of the Head teacher. This is normally allocated to three Governors who carry out a review in the autumn term (beginning of the academic year) often with external professional support. An over-view is reported to the full Governing Body.

Referring to the Headteacher’s Report to Governors. This is normally a termly agenda item and will follow a set format. It is an opportunity for Governors to then seek clarification, offer challenge and refer information in the report to the School Improvement/Development Plan. The report should contain information on school developments; any staffing changes; assessment procedures, test and exam results; records of bullying and any safeguarding issues.

The Governing Body also holds the school to account via:

Using the School Improvement Plan to monitor developments and ensure actions are carried out on schedule. This should be referred to regularly in Governing Body meetings

Monitoring and checking the budget and allocation of funds. Often a sub-committee will have an over-view of finances and will report to the full Governing Body.

Visiting the school to monitor the work that goes on, normally with a focus on specific issues linked to school improvement.

Using data produced by the school and from RAISE online to compare attainment and achievement against national standards.

The Governing Body plan to further develop our methods of communication with parents/carers by sharing information about our work and respond to their concerns or ideas:

• Regular newsletter

• Governing Body page on the school website, perhaps with minutes of meetings

• Governor presence at events such as parental consultation evenings, school productions, sporting events and assemblies

• Twitter or Facebook account

• Posters around school about any major developments

3. Monitoring and evaluating school performance.

Our Governing Body has assigned Governors to specific curriculum areas, aspects or subjects.

There are a number of ways that monitoring can take place:

• Observing lessons (with other staff so it can be discussed afterwards).

• Meeting with subject leaders and teachers.

• Looking through examples of pupils’ work (work scrutiny).

• Analysing relevant exam or test results (attainment).

• Analysing and discussing the progress pupils make from their starting points (achievement).

Governors’ duties towards children with SEND

Legal duty

The Education Act 1996 s. 317 requires Governing bodies of schools to use their best endeavours to:

• Ensure that for any pupil who has SEND the special educational provision which his/her learning difficulty calls for is made.

• Ensure that where a pupil has special educational needs, those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach them

• Ensure that the teachers in the school are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for, those registered pupils who have special educational needs

• Designate a member of the staff at the school (to be known as the “special education needs co-ordinator”) as having responsibility for co-ordinating the provision for pupils with special educational needs and make sure they are suitably qualified

• Consult the local education authority and the governing bodies of other schools to ensure co-ordination of Special Educational Provision

• Inform the child’s parent that special educational provision is being made for him/her there because it is considered that he has special educational needs.

• Shall secure, so far as is reasonably practicable and is compatible with –

a. the child receiving the special educational provision which his/her learning difficulty calls for,

b. the provision of efficient education for the children with whom he/she will be educated, and

c. the efficient use of resources ensure that the child engages in the activities of the school together with children who do not have special educational needs.